St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-10-09
Origin Of the Movement and
Causes Which Led to
Farmers Unions.
The Recent Session in Mime
apolis and What 1t Aimed
to Accomplish.
Pen Sketches Of Men Promi-
nent in the Order--The
New Constitution.

The National Farmers Alliance. which
concluded its seventh annual conven-
ton last Wednesday in Minneapolis, re-
ceived its first start in the organization
OF the Cook County Alliance No. l in
1880. On the 18th of April of that year
there was meeting of the farmers of
Cook county, Illinois, at the Office of the
Western Rural, an agricultural paper
which had been advocating an organiZa-
ton among the farmers, so as to better
protect themselves against the encroach-
ments of unrestrained monopolies. At
this meeting was organized the first
Farmers Alliance in the country. 1t
was named the Cook County Farmers
Alliance and started out under the fol-
lowing officers: President, G. A. Hanf
vice president, c. E. Tuerk; secretary,
J. w. Wilson, and treasurer, Milton
George.
1t was voted at the first meeting to
prepare form of charter, which should
be issued to any seven practical farmers
who desired to join this new association.
No assumption of authority was made
by this alliance, its action IN granting
charters being simply for the purpose
of holding the organization together I'M
til such time as the members should
organize regularly constituted national
alliance. The first charter issued by
the Cook county alliance was to the
Monitor alliance, of Nebraska, which
organized with the following officers:
President. j. 2. Cook; vice president,
A. S. Allen; secretary, j. B. Allen. and
treasurer, Fl. Smith.
1t was but short time before there
was a sufficient number of alliances to
organize national convention. A con-
ventiOn was called to meet in Farwell
hall, Chicago, Oct. IA, 1880, at which
time large number of farmers, ALI
ance delegates and others interested.
assembled in Farwell hall and were
called to order by Milton George. d.
Wizard was made chairman, and J. NJ.
Chambers secretary. The day was al
most wholly consumed in general con-
ventiOn, and the questions in which the
producer was virtually interested were
fully discussed, and number of resolu-
lions adopted to which the following
was the preamble:
This convention, representing grangers,
farmers clubs and alliances, and the indus
trial and shipping interests, affrms, as incon-
trovertible facts, that the railroad system of
this country has become virtual monopoly,
which is defiant of all existing law bearing
upon the management of railways, oppressive
alike to the producer and consumer corrupt
ing to our politics, a hindrance to free and
impartial legislation, and a menace to the
very safety of our republican institutions:
that our railroad corporations, while having
secured an existence and their franchises
through the plea of being necessary for the
public good, and in the belief on the
part of the peoples representatives that
the public good demanded it, it having been
granted the right of way through public and
private property, are operating their roads as
an entirely private enterprise, without re-
gard to the rights of the people and needless
of their pledges to and contract with the
state; that they have been aided in the CON
structiOn of their roads by the government,
In public land grants, subsidies and loans,
aggregating in value over $1,000, 600 900,
and by townand individual subscriptions to
an amount which cannot be accurately as
certained, but is known TO aggregate hun
dreds of thousands, and that although no
part of the principal and not penny of in
terest has ever in single instance been paid,
these corporations utterly ignore the
enormous assessment with which the
people have thus voluntarily burdened them
selves in their behalf, and assume the right
to impose rates for freight and passenger
transportation as if the roads had been
wholly constructed by the contributions of
their individual owners; that their publicly
announced principle of business is to charge
as high as the business will bear which
means that freight tariffs shall be maintained
at just as high figure as will not make the
shipment of farm produce and merchandise
absolutely oblectless;-a principle SO unjust
and tyrannlcal that those engaged in private
business enterprises would not dare adopt
it; that they compel the producer and ship
per to contribute sufficient to pay large
dividends not only upon the face value
of their bona fide stock, but also upon
the face value of large and repeated issues of
watered stock; that they organize within
themselves independent companies-which
manage what are called fast freight lines
To ri hQ hI1Si hiat
to do, and thus are enabled to assess the pub
lie to pay dividends to two companies, when
one could do the business; that they discrim-
mate against individuals and communities
assuming the power, and using it most disas-
trously at times to ruin a merchant or a mer-
camille or farming community; that these
corporations have grown so arrogant that
they refuse to listen to either remOnstrances
or entreaties, and that state legislation is
wholly imperative to thwart their designs or
to enforce the rights of the public.
At the close of the days convention
an alliance meeting proper was organ
lied. with w. j. Fowler as president. A
motion to proceed to the organization of
National alliance was passed and the
following constitution was adopted:
This body shsl, De known as the National
Farmers Alliance of the United States, with
power to make its own constitution and laws
for the government of the entire organiza-
y
iZatlon shall be to mite the farmers of the
United States for their protection against
legislation, and the encroachmentS of con-
centrated capital and tyranny of monopoly;
to provide against being imposed upon by
swindlers and swindling advertisements in
the public prints; to oppose, in our respective
political parties, the election of any candi-
date to Office state or national who is not
thoroughly In sympathy with the farmers
interests; to demand that the existing poiti-
cal parties shall nominate farmers or those
who are in sympathy with them, for all
offices within the gift of the people, and to
do anything, in a legitimate manner, that
may serve to benefit the producer This Ma
tional Farmers alliance shall meet on the
first Wednesday after the first Monday in Oc-
tober, every year, at such place as may be
designated by vote at the previous meeting
This National Farmers alliance shall be
composed of its officers, two representatives
from every state alliance and one representa-
tive from every alliance in any state in which
no state alliance has been organized; pro-
any two members of this alliance each state
delegation shall be required to vote as a unit
The officers elected upon the adoption of
this constitution shall be constituted life
members of this alliance State alliances,
when they exist, shall meet on thefirstWednes-
DAY after the first Monday i'll September.
every year. and elect representatives to the
National alliance; in those states where no
State alliance has been organized, subOrdin-
ate alliances will elect their delegates by
either the state or subordinate alliance, the
president and secretary shall certify the
names of the representatives to the secretary
of the National alliance, and furnish the
representatives with duplicate certificate.
Whenever state alliance shall charter SUI
coordinate alliance, its secretary shall at once
notify the secretary of the national alliance
OF the fact, the location of the new alliance,